2 Peter 3:5-7
"But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:5-7
Can you imagine someone who deliberately forgets something? They just refuse to go there, so they try to erase it from there thinking. Peter continues to speak about scoffers who deliberately forget that God created, has destroyed His creation because of sin, and has reserved destruction for both the heavens and the earth on the day of judgment because of sin. Peter starts with the premise that God created. As you know, this premise has been under attack for a long time, and is the source of much debate between the evangelical and secular circles. Everyone has their "evidence" based on known processes today of how this world came about. Why do I believe that this world was created by an Almighty Sovereign God? Because I believe the Scriptures to be from God, and He should know if He created it. However, my belief is not without support in the natural world. Answers in Genesis ( http://www.answersingenesis.org/ ) is a great source to check out relative to that support, but the bottom line is that I must believe creation to be true if I say I believe the Scriptures. Its a difference in how people look at and interpret this world. Some people look first at what they know about this world and interpret the Bible based on what they perceive. I choose to look at the Bible and interpret the world through what it says. For example, how were fossils laid down in different layers all over the earth with sea creatures found a mile above sea level. Someone might say that that took place over millions of years through various processes, and I would say that it makes sense with a global flood as spoken about in Genesis. Getting back to the point, the Creator God has judged the world through the flood, and has ordained judgment on the present heavens and earth and ungodly men, so scoffers need to readjust what they are deliberately forgetting. Although it is much easier to ignore that there is a God and forget about judgment, ignoring it won't change its reality.
Can you imagine someone who deliberately forgets something? They just refuse to go there, so they try to erase it from there thinking. Peter continues to speak about scoffers who deliberately forget that God created, has destroyed His creation because of sin, and has reserved destruction for both the heavens and the earth on the day of judgment because of sin. Peter starts with the premise that God created. As you know, this premise has been under attack for a long time, and is the source of much debate between the evangelical and secular circles. Everyone has their "evidence" based on known processes today of how this world came about. Why do I believe that this world was created by an Almighty Sovereign God? Because I believe the Scriptures to be from God, and He should know if He created it. However, my belief is not without support in the natural world. Answers in Genesis ( http://www.answersingenesis.org/ ) is a great source to check out relative to that support, but the bottom line is that I must believe creation to be true if I say I believe the Scriptures. Its a difference in how people look at and interpret this world. Some people look first at what they know about this world and interpret the Bible based on what they perceive. I choose to look at the Bible and interpret the world through what it says. For example, how were fossils laid down in different layers all over the earth with sea creatures found a mile above sea level. Someone might say that that took place over millions of years through various processes, and I would say that it makes sense with a global flood as spoken about in Genesis. Getting back to the point, the Creator God has judged the world through the flood, and has ordained judgment on the present heavens and earth and ungodly men, so scoffers need to readjust what they are deliberately forgetting. Although it is much easier to ignore that there is a God and forget about judgment, ignoring it won't change its reality.
Comments
Reading through this, I went to Genesis and read the story of Noah. While reading, i was brought to attention on the fact that flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights. Is there any particular significance of 40 days/years/nights/etc. in the Bible? it seems to be a big number and i'd love to get your explanation on it.
thank you!
Chels
That's a great question because you see the number 40 all though the Scriptures. Of course you have Noah and the flood, Moses was in the desert for 40 years and was on Mt Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus fasted for forty days and 40 nights, there were 40 days and nights between the resurrection and the ascension. It is weaved through all the scriptures. Most of the time it involves a trial or time of testing. Other times it involves judgment. 40 days involved a fast many times. 40 years is a generation. I don't know if it has any symbolic meaning, but there is something to be said about a 40 day period with the Lord in some type of fast. I wish I had some better answer than that, but I am as curious as you are about it. Do you have any thoughts about it? I would love to hear your thoughts.